Brett's agent jets in to Toon

Newcastle United fans will finally get a close look at their £8 million target Brett Emerton when the Australian international lines up for Feyenoord in tonight's Champions' League game at St James's Park.

Newcastle United fans will finally get a close look at their &#xA3;8 million target Brett Emerton when the Australian international lines up for Feyenoord in tonight's Champions' League game at St James's Park.

But they won't be the only ones taking a good look at the 23-year-old midfielder.

For The Chronicle can reveal that Emerton's agent Simon Konstanidiuous is making a 22,000 mile round trip to St James's Park from Australia to take in tonight's match.

And this is bound to raise the question of whether Emerton will end up at St James's Park once the transfer window opens again on January 1.

United were surprised to say the least when they received a request for a match ticket from Emerton's agent - especially as he could have sat at home in Sydney and watched the game live on television.

And the presence of Konstanidoius is likely to be a red rag to a bull as far as Feneyoord are concerned after they turned down United's &#xA3;8 million bid for Emerton in August.

Angry words were exchanged between Tyneside and Rotterdam, not that Freddy Shepherd was too bothered because his only concern is Newcastle United.

Certainly United did not take too much notice of a report over the weekend in which Emerton allegedly said that he did not want to come to St James's Park on a permanent basis.

But the young Aussie is under a bit of pressure to turn it out in front of the Toon Army tonight.

As it happens Emerton is one of five Feyenoord players who will arrive at St James's Park on yellow cards, but United defender Nicos Dabizas is the only player on view just one booking away from a Champions' League suspension.

Feyenoord will also include skipper Paul Bosvelt whom Sir Bobby Robson tried to buy two years ago.

And Robson failed in a bid to get Feyenoord striker Pierre van Hooijdonk on loan from Benfica in December 2000.

Clarence Acuna's former University of Chile colleague Sebastian Pardo is also in the Feyenoord squad tonight.

AFTER the disappointment of last week's trip to Dynamo Kiev, tonight's game will be shown live on ITV 2 with highlights on ITV 1 at 11.10 pm. The whole game from St James's Park will be re-run at 1.05 in the morning, also on ITV 1.

Newcastle United start their home Champions' League programme with tonight's game with Feyenoord at St James's Park.

But United are already looking further ahead.

For Martin Hong, chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association, was a guest of United at Saturday's derby match with Sunderland at St James's Park.

And while neither United nor the Hong Kong FA would comment on the purpose of Mr Hong's visit, what it means is that things are hotting up on the "North East to Far East" project.

United and their Chinese partners Dalian Shide are forming a new team based in Hong Kong to play in the Chinese League in 2004-5 and this should be concluded by the end of the year.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd will return to China at the end of November to continue negotiations as United get a strong foothold in the Far East.